About 1.7 billion cubic feet of gas is being exported daily from four offshore blocks and about 400 million cubic feet of gas is distributed for domestic use, according to the Myanmar Global Investment Forum in Nay Pyi Taw.

The Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprises (MOGE) had offshore and inland blocks producing gas, with inland supplies usually used for the domestic market, Myo Myint Oo, the managing director of MOGE, told the forum.

Myanmar has 104 oil and gas blocks, with half on land. Tenders were opened for international bids and 20 inland and 16 offshore blocks are now being worked.

Around 75 per cent of the country’s energy comes from hydropower and the rest is generated with natural gas.

“The next plan is to use power from coal-fired power plants, which has lower production costs. We have to consider whether we would use LNG (liquefied natural gas) in the long-term,” said Ei Phyu Sin Htay Myint, the managing director for Barons and Fujikura EPC.

Total from France, Petronas from Malaysia, Daewoo from South Korea and PTTEP from Thailand are now investing in the sector.